Wrench



Patented Nov. 30, 1920.

n. OCONNOR.

WRENCH.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 10.1919.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DENIS ocoNNon, OF JoLIEnILLTNoIs, Assre'No-R TO CHARLES G. PEARCE, TRUSTEE,

" v or JOLIE'I, ILLINOIS.

WRENCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed October 10, 1919. Serial No. 329,759.

To all whom it may concern:

- Be it known thatI, DENIS OCoNNoR a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at Joilet, in the county of Will and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in renches, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a wrench adapted for the gripping of polygonal or curved surfaces, and is characterized by a number of features of improvement which will more clearly hereinafter appear. In the present wrench, l'have aimed to combine lightness with strength, to devise a construction that is inexpensive to manufacture, and to utilize an adjusting nut which held in operative position and protected against accidental turn1ng,in a novel manner. 1

A suggestive embodiment of my invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein- I T Figure l'is a sideelevation of'the wrench;

, .7 Fig. 2 is a front elevation thereof;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing the nut and its associated parts in separated relation; and 1 Fig. 4t is a longitudinal section through the nut with its associated parts in operative relation therewith.

The body or handle of my wrench which is designated as 5 may conveniently'be produced from flat metal stock that is subjected to the action of suitable blanking and forming dies so asto shape it transversely in conformity with the letter U, resulting in the formation of a back 6,'-sides-7, and inwardly turned front edges 8' in the region where the wrench is adapted to be seized by the hand. Near the upper end of the wrench a shoulder 9 projects inwardly to provide a narrower portion 10 immediately adjacent the wrench back, this shoulder extending downwardly from the top for any desired distance. Formed on each side of the wrench near the upper end thereof is a clrcular boss 11 surrounding a round apergular in cross section, so as to lie non-rota' tably between the side walls 7 of the wrench body. The fixed jaw and shoulder 9 act re- I spectively as front and rear stops for the movable jaw by abutting its shank whenever the jaw is tilted forwardly or rearwardly.

A means of connection and. adjustment between the movable jaw and'the wrench body is provided in a nut 16 best shown in Fig. 3' which may, if desired, have a knurled finger portion for, facilitating rotation thereof. This nut may be'of any standard kind, being formed interiorly with threads '17 adapted to cooperate with the threads of the shank so as to effect relative adjustments between the movable and fixed jaws of the wrench. The nut is mounted within the wrench body in a novel manner through the use of'companion bearings 18, each of which is slotted as at 19 to receive the shank of the movable jaw. These slots are each flanked with lugs 20 having outer convex faces in 'conformitywith the curvature of the opening within the nut. Each of these hearings, moreover, has its side walls 21 bowed outwardly to project beyond the nut, as appears best in Figs. 2' and 4, so as to protect the nut from contact with aplane surface whenever the wrench is laid down.

.Vhenthe'parts are assembled in operative relation, the nut with its associated bearings is placed within the two openings 12, and'turned to present the slots 19 in line with the shank ofthe movable jaw. The bosses 11 constitute a widened seatagainst which these bearings lie to afford support for the parts which cooperate with the movable jaw, and which are free to rotate within the openings 12 for any required distance as the jaw is tilted forwardly or rearwardly. As already explained, its rearward movement is stopped by the shoulder 9. Normally the movable jaw is held in a forward position to cooperate better with the fixed jaw, as by means of a leaf spring 22 adapted to lie between the walls 7 within the narrow portion 10 immediately adjacent the back 6 of the wrench body, the spring being held in place therein as by means of a rivet or pin 23.

According to the present construction, rotation of the nut will effect longitudinal movements of the movable jaw in the usual manner, but the parts being freely assembled within the wrench body are capable of moving as required to permit the jaw to tilt rearwardly, and, when desired, to be readily withdrawn from the wrench body. 'It will be understood, of course, that I do not de sire in this invention to be limited to av -wrench body that is formed of sheet metal,

although thisis a desirable construction, but

may, if preferred, form this part otherwlse. Also in respect of other features which are; susceptible of modification withoutsacrificing theadvantages of my inven- 1 tion, ,I desire that they should be included within the scope of this patent, all as definedin the claims following.

I claim:

'1. A wrench whose body is U-shaped in cross section toprovide a back and parallel sides in spaced relation, each side being formed with an outwardly extending circular boss within which is a circular opening inalinement with the other, a fixed jaw mounted on the wrench body and a movable jawv adapted to cooperate therewith having a threaded rectangular shank extended'bev tween the sides of the wrench body, and

means for effecting adjustments of the mov-V able jaw comprisingla nut interiorly threadedto cooperate with the threaded shank, and companion bearings adapted to be rotatably seated within the circular openings in the body sides, and each having a slot for receivbetweensuch walls in each of which adj acentthe shank are. registering circular apertures, and a connection between the shankand body'consisting of a nut interiorly threaded tojcooperate with the shank and twobearings each arranged to seat within both of the apertures formedin the body walls, the bearings being formed'also'to" receive the shank through each of them and lugs on said bearingsto be received within the nut, the a shank serving as the sole medium for retain ing thebearings and nut in operative relation within the body, substantially as described. r

3. A wrenchhaving a hollow body two of whose opposite wallsare formed with circular apertures each reinforced withan outwardly turned flange, a pair of'bearings eated within both openings and freely rotatable; therein and removable therefrom, a nut arranged between the bearings, there being means projecting-from each bearing into the nut to preserve theserparts in oper- V ative relation, and meansfor holding the nut and its associated bearings operatively v within the wrench body consisting of a jaw having a threaded shank with which the nut may cooperate, the shank-being extended through thenut and each oflits bearings, substantially as described. 1 7' 4. A wrench having a jaw with rectangular shank threaded onits narrower sides, a nut interiorly threaded to cooperate with the shank, two bearings for the 'nut, one at each end thereof,and each provided with a lug adapted to enter within the nut adjacent a wider sidejof the shank, and each slotted to receive therethrough the shank of the jaw, and a body for the wrench having spaced walls'between which the shank may be received, there being registering apertures in the walls within both of which the bearingsmay lie, the engaging surfaces of the bearings and walls surrounding the aperture being circularwhereby the shank may be'tilted for-wardly and backwardly around an axis which is coincident with the center of each aperture, substantially as described.

DENIS GGONNOR,

Witne'ssi MARY MAHER. 

